Well-driller&#39;s fishing-tool.



,M- L. THORN & W. M. MoGEE.

WELL DRILLERS FISHING TOOL.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8. 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

MATTHEW L. THORN, or HOLLYWOOD, ANn WILLIAM M. McGEE, or SANTA IvIoNIoA oALIroRN'IA.

WELL-DRILLERS FISHING-TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

Application filed July 8, 1908. Serial No. 442,584.

-To all whom it may concern:

Be it known we, MATTHEW L. THoRN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hollywood, in the county of Los Angelesand State of California, and.W1LLIA1\I M. MoGnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Monica, in said county and State, have invented a new and useful Well- Drillers F ishing-Tool, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby underrearner cutters and other loose objects and material in a drilled well can be removed with ease and facility.

The invention is capable of various enibodiments, and comprises a tool provided with blades or fingers pivotally secured together at a distance from one end, means to temporarily hold the fingers spread apart,

the rigid blade and the stem, the jars being omitted and the crosshead and ring being shown in section, the view being a portion of Fig. 1 viewed from the right. The sleeve and cross-head are sectioned, and the shorter blade is detached and omitted to expose the interior parts. The pin which pivots the shorter blade to the main blade is shown displaced. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inside face of the shorter blade removed from 2. Fig. 4 is an axial section of the grappling tool on line indicated by w Fig. 2. The tool is shown set. Fig. 5 is a plan section of the grappling tool on line indicated by w, Figs. 1, 2 and 4. The grappling tool being shown open, is indicated in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 an enlarged section on line m, Fig. 1.

1 designates a stem, and 2 a transverselycurved blade fixed thereto and forming a solid extension thereof, the same being slightly bent or deflected outwardly from the axis of the stem, as indicated at. 3, and being beveled and rounded at the point 4 so that when the tool is open the point will approximately tit the inside of the well-casing and will be devoid ofany sharp corners that might scrape or injure such casing when the tool is lowered into the well, and also to allow the point of the blade to insert past any1 loose object to be withdrawn from the we 5 designates a blade pivoted to the upper end of the fixed blade 2 by a. pivot 6. This blade is transversely curved and corresponds in construction to the fixed blade throughout its length and is adapted to swing on the pivot 6 to increase or decrease the space between the lower portions of the blades. The blades are provided externally with oppositely arranged outwardly and downwardly-diverging faces 7, '7, thus giving to the tool an upwardly-tapering formation a distance below the pivot.

8 designatesa sleeve movable along the blade and adapted to slide on the tapering portions 7. 7 of the tool. The interior diameter of the sleeve corresponds to the eX- terior diameter of the tool at the lower end of. the taper faces 7, T? when the blades are closed. hen the sleeve is brought to the upper end of the taper portion, the blades may be spread apart at the lower end. When the sleeve is forced downward on the taper portion itpresses the blades together into the position shown in solid lines in F ig. 1 and in dotted lines in Fig. 4;.

9 is a cross-head to which the sleeve 8 is fastened, the blades being longitudinally notched or slotted as at 10 to allow the crosshead to move along the tool for adjustment of the sleeve. Y

11 is a rod on which the cross-head 9 is slidingly mounted. Said rod' is pivoted at 12 to the fixed blade.

13 is a spring around the rod 11 to force the cross-head 9 and the sleeve which it carries, toward the larger end of the; taper portions 7, 7 of the tool.

.14 is a sleeve, 15 a washer, and 16 a nut on the rod 11 to retain the cross-head 9 thereon.

17 and 18 designate the members of a set of jars, and a is a part ofa string of tools for operating the grappling device above described. It is to be understood that the jars ma be operated by the usual drilling ine or y tubing fastened to the jars in the well-known manner of operating drillingtools.

ends of the blades will embrace the e 19 designates ll prop to liold the jaws spread spurt while being lowered to the bottom of the well. The inner trough-like faces are barbed as shown at :20, to increase friction on the object gripped "o the tool.

In practical operation, assuming that an umlerreanier-bit has been lost. in the bottom of a hole and covered with savings, tlie driller will attach the jar" to the bottom of the stem 0: of a string of tools, and will then attach the stem 1 of the grapple to the lower member 17 of the jars, and wil then swing the string of tools, with the blades zittuclied, free from the ground, and will provide suitable means nos shown, for supportii the cross-head against the thrust of the s: 'ing 'to hold the sleeve stationary while the tool is allowed to descend. The supporting means may be of any suitable character, for instance, props or bars not sluwm underneath the sleeve; or post, as a two-inch wipe, not shown, underneath the cross-bead. ll lien thus supported, tlie string of tools may be lowered thus bringing the narrower part of the taper portion 2", I, inside the sleeve; whereupon the points of the blades may be spread apart and the prop l9 placed iii-position. Then the operator will raise the string of: tools, time allowing the spring 13 to force the sleeve downward againsz the taper portions 7, 7'1, thereby forcing the points of the blades inward to hold the prop in place, which in turn holds the blades from closing and prevents the further descent of the sleeve along taper portion. The tool may then be lowered into the hol and when an obstruction at the bottom c intercepts the orop, it will dislod l ease toe blot s, whereupon l, u was the sleeve clown "lot: it thereby closing the no wl teve 1s 'een them.

may then be down to take firm of tools maybe drawn up and from the hole and the sleeve. u;; n suppered by the prop ill the top of the hole the tool let down to brin inside the sleeve the smaller end oi the lope portion of the tool. time allowing the blades to be uguin swun spn t to release wi'lintever l e be held oetweu. tliein; as for lllSlfill the I! lie prop l9 and a g lortion i tlsome, or mother prop, in in lbs son'le wny us be to e, and inc described operation repeated and so on until ilie cavings have all been drawn from above the cutter. ll lien the tool is again lowered, the utter. and the driller ins operate the jars gently to lorce the blades w l o l down over the cut ter. iVlien lie satisfied a solid rip has been secured on the cutter, be tool will be withdrawn as before, lluis witlidrswing the Cutler.

tissues The operation for recovering a string of tools or any other object will be practically -tlie some as that above described; the driller jars.

ll e claim lfA fishing tool comprisins: a blade provided with a store, a blade pivoted thereto, said blades 11: ing opposiholy-arranged upwe.idly-tapering portions below the pivot, a sleeve around the blzdes at the tapering poi-tion thereof, spring between the blades, und means connecting the spring Willi the sleeve to force the sleeve to'vmrd the larger end of the taper portion.

'2. in e. fishing tool, a. set of jars. a stem connected to the lower member of the jars, a blade extending downwardly from the stem, 2. second blade pivoted to the upper end of the first blade, :1 rod mounted between the" two blades, a cross-bead upon the r d and movable along the blades, :1 soring press ing" the cross-liead downwardly, :1 sleeve at.- lnclied lo the crossliezujl and encircling the blades, and means for temporarily holding the lower ends of the blades spread apart to support the sleeve against the tension of the rings and for insertion into the well, said means being frictionally held between the blades so that such means may be displaced by an obstruction passing between the blades. 3. In :1. fishing tool, a stern adapted for emiuecl'ion to operating means. :1 blade rigid with the stem, e. second blade pivot-idly moun ed relative to the blade. :1 sleeve mounted upon (1% dos 11nd lengthwise thereof for ioreing lllQ blades together :is the sleeve descends. and menus for li mporurily holding the blades apart and the sleeve elevated. so that when the tool descends into the well and meets on obstrnm lion the blades will be role: red and the sleeve will be allowed to descend to force be blades together to grip the obstruction.

In a fishing lool, n stem udrqvited for con eel'ion with means for operating the tool, a blade rigid with ilie stem. 1 second blade pivotnlly mounted relative to the stem. a prop for holding the eludes apart, a rod pivoted between the blades, :1 crossheud upon the red and movable along; the blades, :1 spring upon tlie rod u iinst the cross-bend, and a sleeve curr' d .iy the cross-bend and encircling the lilzidcs, so tlmt oLe-n the tool descends into swell and niee" an obstrucs tion the obstruction will disyliice ilie moy Ill allowing the spring to force the sleeve down wardly. and force the jaws to engage the obstruction.

5. In a fishin tech two blades of curved cross-section and rounded points pivoted togather, a stem rigid with one of said blades and adapted for connection to means for erating the tool, a rod pivoted between sald blades, a spring O11 S11d rod, a prose-head operable by sa d spring, and means carried by the cross-head toflforce the ends of the,

blades together.

6. In a fishing tool, two blades of curved cross-section'and rounded points pivoted together a stem rigid with one of said blades and adapted for connection to means for op erating the tool, a rod pivoted between said blades, a spring on said rod, a eross-head opthe. cross-head erable by said spring, means to temporarily hold the blades apart, and means carried by to force the ends of the blade together.

7. In a fishing tool, two blades pivoted together, a stern rigid with one of the blades "and adapted for connectionto means for operating the tool, and extending between the" blades, a cross-head carried bythe rod, means carried by the cross-head to force the blades toward each other,and a spring carried b the rod to operate said means.

8. Iii a fishin tool, two concave inter nally-barbed bla espivoted together, a stem' for connection 110' means for operatin the tool, a" rod extending between the blades, a

- cross-head carried by therod, means carried the blades toward MATTHEW L. THORN. M. McGEE. f In presence of JAMES R. TowNsE Nn, M. "BEULAH TOWNSEND.

rigid with one-of the blades andadapted 

